This invention relates to sanitary napkins and more particularly relates to sanitary napkins having adhesive attachment means and being provided with perfumes or deodorants for masking or otherwise reducing the perception of malodorous body fluids absorbed and retained by the napkins in use.
Sanitary napkins generally comprise an elongated absorbent body or pad of such absorbent materials as wood pulp, cotton, wadding or the like having two major surfaces, one of which is to be worn against the body of the user and the other away from the body, i.e., toward the user's undergarment. The surface worn against the body is often provided with a porous cover for containing the absorbent material and this cover may extend completely or partially around the pad. The surface worn away from the body may be covered with an impervious cover or barrier film to preclude body fluids absorbed by the pad from transferring through the pad and onto the undergarment or other clothing of the wearer. This barrier film can be provided on the outer most surface of the napkin or below the porous cover if such porous cover extends around the entire pad. Recently, the above-described sanitary napkins have been provided with a layer of pressure-sensitive adhesive overlying a portion of the outer-most surface of the napkin on the surface worn away from the body, i.e., the garment contacting surface. The purpose of this pressure-sensitive adhesive is to adhere to the crotch portion of the user's undergarment and to preclude the napkin from shifting from the intended in-use position.
The above-described napkins are generally worn during menstruation for a period of time up to several hours in the course of which time they absorb and retain a substantial quantity of menstrual fluid. This retained menstrual fluid is known to contain various highly malodorous compounds such as amines or fatty acids. To obviate the potential for embarrassment and discomfort for the user, the art has long sought methods for masking or otherwise deodorizing such products. These prior art suggestions have considered adding, generally to the absorbent pad, deodorizing agents or perfumes in the form of either powders or liquids. Several drawbacks are associated with these prior art efforts. From a manufacturing point of view, powders are difficult to incorporate into sanitary napkins in that they tend to dust out or settle after the napkin has been handled during manufacturing, packaging and distribution. Liquid perfume compositions, on the other hand, tend to diffuse throughout the product and affect the stability of elements of the napkin such as the barrier film or the pressure-sensitive adhesive.
Perhaps most important, is a problem inherent in the application of masking scents, either in powder or liquid carriers, to a product such as a sanitary napkin. In order to be effective, a scent must volatilize and ultimately reach the olfactory sensors of humans. Thus the incorporation of a scent into a napkin by whatever means employed heretofore, meant that the scent began to volatilize from the point of manufacturing, through packaging and storing and finally during use. To insure that sufficient scent is available during use, manufacturers have had to incorporate large excess quantities of scent into their products and have had to tolerate the release of this scent in such undesired places as in their plants, warehouses and in retail stores. This has proven to be economically wasteful and aesthetically undesirable. Moreover in use the scent may be trapped within the absorbent material of the napkin between the body of the user and the barrier film and therefore the intensity of the fragrance as perceived by the wearer as well as by others is diminished relative to what it would be if the same quantity of fragrance material were employed in some part of the napkin that was more accessible to available air currents. Thus the location of the fragrance material in the absorbent pad necessitates the use of greater quantities of fragrance materials which increase the cost of the product.
One suggestion for solving this problem is found in U.S. Pat. No. 3,490,454 issued to A. Goldford and W. Geiler on Jan. 20, 1970. Taught therein is a sanitary napkin in which, or on which, is placed at least one layer of a multiplicity of rupturable capsules which may contain among other materials, deodorants. It is contemplated in the above-described reference that the act of applying the napkin will serve to rupture certain of the capsules, releasing the deodorants for the first time and at the time of use. Unfortunately, the degree of handling of the product by the user varies widely from user to user and from time to time. Concomitant therewith, the numbers of capsules ruptured will vary greatly and hence the quantity of deodorant released. To insure that a sufficient quantity of deodorant is released, the manufacturer must uneconomically provide a great excess number of deodorant filled capsules.
Accordingly, the art has heretofore failed to find a satisfactory method for perfuming or deodorizing sanitary napkins.